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Forums ruining instead of complimenting game experience.
Jemcrystal
Member UncommonPosts: 1,989
Each game has it's own forum. When signed on to a game I would like to hang out there but it doesn't take long to see unforgivable faults. Clicks have formed, moderators are spiteful and rude, certain trolls are lotted privileges, free speach is unheard of, and newbs are shot on site. It really makes me ill. A good portion of my gaming experience is the game's forums. Why don't the client owners check in and see how badly their forums are doing?
Comments
Forums are used to "win" the Internet.
PVP at its highest form.
Any other use is strictly optional.
But that said, I find that company sponsored forums are less enjoyable (for the reasons you stated) than a more free form one like this, which is why I devote most of my time here.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
No matter how cynical you become, its never enough to keep up - Lily Tomlin
Good hint.
Oh wait, the delivery of said hint is contra-indicated by the hint itself. Paradox! Div/0 Error!
Hint: If you value 'free speech', forums may not be a good idea for you. Particularly if you're highly opinionated and lack self-control.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Forums of specific games are best avoided. MMORPG is different, because people think in more hypothetical terms here, as there isn't one solid game base here, which means concepts are more valuable than specifics.
People act differently when dealing with hypothetical situations, then equally true real-world situations.
I can't see why anybody would want to win the internet.
What're you gonna do with it? It's not like you can eat it!
Have you been a forum mod? I have on another one and let me tell you, it is a thankless job and very hard.
All games have faults and it seems that on general forums, like this one, more of the negative aspects come out. It is just the way it is and you have to understand that when you read forums like this one. If you want to read more discussion about a game, then you really need to go to game's forum or to a fan forum dedicated to the game.
I would wish people would be more objective in discussing subjects, on this forum, but I even get caught up in the negativity that ensues here. It is easier to be negative that admit your bias and discuss openly and logically - we all do it - I do too - to the detriment of the discussions.
I wouldn't blame the mods - I would blame how people go about discussing things - it is easy to blame mods but in reality it is a bloody impossible job to do.
My guess is it changed when internet became accessible and used by practically everybody, making it probably a good representation of the general human population but then anonymously and without the restraints that real life set in place.K, I lol'd. That was good.
If you took the witty from the forums, where would we be? Oh, in a better place? Sorry..
Forums have several big disadvantages.
1) The participants in a forum do not represent the whole playerbase. Nor are the participants representative for the whole playerbase.
2) There is a similar effect like with the news industry. There are hot topics. There are less hot topics. There are a lot of different topics. But the hot topics don't always represent important topics. Most topics get buried on the following pages too fast.
3) You can't that easily follow discussions when you're not online all the time. Even with e-mail or other kinds of notifications to inform you about new posts.
4) "Thread necromancy" is often frowned upon, but doing that would be better to understand how the discussion has evolved. At least linking/merging/summarizing similar threads should be considered. Which is often not.
Thus topics discussed on forums should be taken with a grain of salt.
Sometimes they could even spell and punctuate, too.
But I think you're just pointing out that stubborn forumites only get more stubborn, once you add some "I'm a veteran" reactionary cane-waving.
And you'd be right.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
You know what though? I think the OP's complaints were against official company forums, doesn't sound like he has a real issue with what goes on over here.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Sounds like you been on the lotro forums, I read what you said and I imediatly though wow they are talking about a certain blue name and a few super users with counless green bars who are continually allowed to attack users who have anything negative to say. I don't think I would be allowed to call that blue name out, but you all know who I am talking about.
A forum community will always be much more negative of a game than the game community itself. The main reason is that if someone is actually enjoying a game and has some free time, it's more likely to spend it in the game than in the forums (of course with exceptions like people that are at work like me). Official forums tend to agravate this because it's the place where the devs supposedly will actually see the complains and suggestions.
I always put AoC as a prime example of this. I remember at release, at least on the server I played in, it had one of the best communities I've seen in an MMO. Once I saw a mob that was needed for a quest and that because of a bug if you killed him as a group only one got credit... and since there was so many people playing in that area he was dead most of the time... and people were forming lines and respecting other people's turn to tag the mob anytime he respawned. Saw the same thing on another quest that was some arena like fights against increasingly difficult mobs, but that only one could enter at a time (whoever hit the lever first, it was later changed to a solo instance to prevent griefing there), people were also forming lines, do one tier of the content, go back to the end of the line and so on. Yet I had friends decide against trying the game because they read the forums first (they were running away from WoW mostly because of the community). The forums were an almost opposite to the in-game community, IMO.
What can men do against such reckless hate?
The "I quit" threads that are so popular. Ive wondered why studios never hold those people to their word.
"This game sucks! Im done once my sub runs out!"
But you still see them next month continuing to stir the pot.
Huh, good point.
I distinctly remember visiting the unofficial Solusek Ro forums in the early days. That's how I discovered that DAoC existed and was in beta. And kept up with the "goings ons" from the usual suspects on my server.
Blast from the past, that.
I think when a company hires forum workers they should check up on them to see if the forum employees are harassing the gamers.
Here is a post I made today and note the moderator's treatment. Also note that this subject is not disallowed so that was not the reason for bad treatment. The moderators need moderated.
Link if that is to hard to read here.
"Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game."-Guybrush Threepwood
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me."-Hunter S. Thompson
Play more. Visit less. Forums aren't compulsory.
If it makes you ill you're too thin-skinned for Tha Intarweb anyway.
Forums are really useful for getting the feel of the game and having newbie questions answered.
However, I agree that they often ruin the game experience. The cynicism of the veteran players is really disenchanting to a newbie. When I start a new game, I'll be really excited about all the new content that's unlocked at higher levels. Then I look at the forums and see nothing but complaining or optimization strategies that sound really boring and stupid. In almost every game I've played, reading the forums makes the game sound critically broken.
If you're building an mmorpg, or if you'd like to share ideas or talk about this industry, visit Multiplayer Worlds.
How on earth did you come to the conclusion that free speech is a right you should have on private forums. You are free create your own forum where you can practice free speech all you like. That doesn't extend to privately owned forums you may come across on the internet, nor should it
Ignorance is Bliss.
If there is something negative to be talked about, wouldn't you value knowing over not knowning? People using forums love to exchange ideas, expose flaws, and promote change. The more successful a game is, the more it is discussed. It is to every fans benefit that "stuff" get ironed out and addressed. Whether it is for your game of choice, or for future games yet to be released.
But if you want to close your mind, then put your fingers in your ears and go "LALALALA" and you will have complete bliss, in your own world :-)
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Sale it on Ebay!
He never said that forum owners should be legally obligated to allow free speech. Property owners can make the rules on their own property, yes, but outside their property people are free to express their opinion about those rules.
If you're building an mmorpg, or if you'd like to share ideas or talk about this industry, visit Multiplayer Worlds.
I see nothing wrong with the Moderator's post.